Trial begins in building contracts corruption case

The federal buildings agency was “corrupt through and through,” according to the Brussels prosecutor, speaking yesterday at the start of the trial of 13 agency officials, 35 contractors and  24 companies for corruption in the granting of building contracts. On the first day, the prosecution demanded sentences of between six months and three years for the officials involved.

The court heard how the agency had a group of preferred contractors and passed them information about rival bids to allow them to adjust their own bids accordingly. “Officials accepted the finished work and the invoices without any checks, and even paid for works that were never carried out,” the prosecution said.

As a result, the prisons of Vorst/Foret and Sint-Gillis:/Saint-Gilles (pictured), the Justice Palace and the Bozar fine arts centre, all in Brussels, all saw essential renovation works scheduled but never carried out.

“In exchange, they received all sorts of rewards, including cash and travel, while works were carried out on their own homes for free or at a large discount.” The investigation was launched after four anonymous letters were received in 2005.

“Anyone who joined the agency had two choices,” the prosecution said. “Play along or be transferred.”

The trial began in the absence of Hans Evenpoel, former director-general of the agency. Now aged 74, Evenpoel’s lawyer says his health will not allow him to attend the trial. Evenpoel did not take part directly in the system, the prosecution admitted, but he knew about it and did nothing to stop it. A sentence of one year was requested.

The heaviest sentence was demanded in the case of Raphaël Engels, 62, former head of the Brussels division, who is alleged to have received more than €750,000 in bribes, as well as for Paul Buysschaert, in charge of prisons in Brussels, who allegedly received more than €180,000.

Photo: Jan Swennen, one of several lawyers representing Belgium’s federal building agency

© Jasper Jacobs/BELGA